RICHMOND, Va. — Today Preservation Virginia named the site of WaHōnSeNaKah (Powhatan)’s birthplace one of Virginia’s most endangered places of 2026.
Located on the north bank of the James River immediately downstream from present Richmond, Powhatan’s birthplace is depicted as a prominent settlement on historic maps and initial archaeological work has uncovered tens of thousands of artifacts at the site. The site holds immense cultural significance to Virginia’s Tribes and reflects a long-standing and ongoing relationship between Tribal Nations and the landscape. The property was later home to a plantation and enslaved community and it is recognized as the site of Richmond’s surrender at the end of the Civil War.
Today, it is one of the last undeveloped parcels near Richmond on Route 5/Old Osborne Turnpike — one of the oldest roads in the state and designated as a Virginia Byway for its high aesthetic and cultural value. It is also in danger of being lost to development.
Read the full article found on the Southern Environmental Law Center website.